Christmas has been, still is and always will be first and foremost in this house. Baby Jesus birthday, then the tree, presents, Christmas feast, lights, everything full of fat that they are wanting us to do without and all of that stuff. The men will eat until they fall asleep, the women will sit around and chat and eventually do the dishes. Later that evening...turkey, coleslaw and jellied cranberry sandwiches with stuffing on the side.

Ahhh, don’t worry Pope...Christmas will always be Jesus Birthday and the rest that goes along with it. It’d be a cold day in hell before an atheist could EVER EVEN BEGIN TO THINK they could crush Christmas. Jokes as they are.

Religion, in other words, is not a problem for legislators to solve, but a vital contributor to the national conversation. In this light, I cannot but voice my concern at the increasing marginalization of religion, particularly of Christianity, that is taking place in some quarters, even in nations which place a great emphasis on tolerance. There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere. There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals such as Christmas should be discouraged, in the questionable belief that it might somehow offend those of other religions or none. And there are those who argue  paradoxically with the intention of eliminating discrimination  that Christians in public roles should be required at times to act against their conscience. These are worrying signs of a failure to appreciate not only the rights of believers to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, but also the legitimate role of religion in the public square. I would invite all of you, therefore, within your respective spheres of influence, to seek ways of promoting and encouraging dialogue between faith and reason at every level of national life.

(edit)

12
posted on 09/17/2010 3:51:53 PM PDT
by Stoat
(If you want a vision of the future, imagine a Birkenstock stamping on a human face... forever)

After the Reformation and certainly after the Protestant Succession and establishment of the Church of England were secure up until fairly recent times it would have been unthinkable that the Catholic Pope would speak in Westminster Hall. The shame is this didn't happen out of an outpouring of ecumenism by the British people but because most of them don't care about religion any more.

Sadly, most of the pictures posted at the Daily Mail page are Getty Images which are banned at Free Republic. Please be sure to look at the Daily Mail page not only to see the full article but also to see the photos, which include one of Baroness Thatcher with the Pope!

Here's one of the few photos from a non-Getty source:

Powerful speech: The Pope waves to crowds on Lambeth Bridge, moments before entering Westminster to speak to dignitaries, when he said Christmas should be defended

14
posted on 09/17/2010 3:58:03 PM PDT
by Stoat
(If you want a vision of the future, imagine a Birkenstock stamping on a human face... forever)

You can sort of start one her by making a really, really, big deal out of Christmas and Easter and by calling Christmas by that name rather than “holiday season” and such. I think Christmas is the perfect occasion for a huge display of in your face Nativity scenes, Christmas written every where and on everyones’ lips, and last but not least, lots of Christmas carols with the original meaning of Christmas in them. At the very least, it'll show the mooslims and atheists that we're fed up with their crap and not going to carter to their BS any more.

Regards

15
posted on 09/17/2010 4:05:55 PM PDT
by Rashputin
(Obama is already insane and sequestered on golf courses or vacations so you won't know it)

You can sort of start one her by making a really, really, big deal out of Christmas and Easter and by calling Christmas by that name rather than holiday season and such

I've been doing that for many years......here in hard-Left Seattle, I'm constantly subjected to "Happy Holidays" which I answer by smiling and saying "Thank you, and a Merry Christmas to you as well".

If a given holiday has meaning to someone, I wish that they would simply refer to it directly in any greeting that they might care to make. If someone were to greet me with a reference to another religion whose holiday also occurs during our Christmas season I'm equally polite, but this business of being terrified to mention a holiday that's important to you is a very sad elevation of Political Correctness into our common parlance. Political Correctness tends to exacerbate a level of conflict and fear in society, with the unstated message in this case being "I think most people are bigots who will shoot me or sue me if I dare to mention my religion, so I'll leave my spine at home today and use a generic, milquetoast greeting instead."

In order for the Pope's message to be realized, we all need to incorporate his teachings into our daily lives. Saying "Merry Christmas" with a friendly smile is a great place to start, IMHO. The more people hear those words, the more people will understand that it's quite alright to say it.

"getting down off of soapbox now"

25
posted on 09/17/2010 5:28:23 PM PDT
by Stoat
(If you want a vision of the future, imagine a Birkenstock stamping on a human face... forever)

Also, in this country during the Christmas season, its difficult to find the word Christmas in many of the stores (while they take Christians money).

Which is why I wrote an Its OK to say Merry Christmas letter to the editor.

You make essential points. Regarding Christmas merchansising, I went so far as to immediately return a box of Christmas cards to the store when I discovered that they were actually made in China....a county long known for brutal persecution of Christians. It seemed to be far too much of an ironic statement to send a good friend my wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on a card that may have been made by slave labor. Similarly, even though I try to avoid "Made In China" goods all year long, I make a particular effort to avoid giving gifts made in China at Christmastime.

33
posted on 09/17/2010 6:50:53 PM PDT
by Stoat
(If you want a vision of the future, imagine a Birkenstock stamping on a human face... forever)

I agree, it is time to fight back and let these people know that we have our holidays.
It pisses me off that muslims can practice and force their ideology of intolerance and hate onto the the west while Christians , church goers or not be told don’t say Christmas or Easter.

36
posted on 09/17/2010 7:29:45 PM PDT
by manc
(WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)

well there has been 3 but count me on on another and I’m not that religious.

All the crusades were to take back the holy city because islam moved in.
Before islam hundreds of years before it was invented by some cave dwelling caravan leader Christians and Jews lived there with peace.
islam moves in, they build that big eye sore and then say it is their holy land.

They have another eyesore compliments of the saudi’s near the vatican.
Wil they now say Rome is theirs too

38
posted on 09/17/2010 7:34:44 PM PDT
by manc
(WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)

The fact that you have to even make your proclamation shows we have already lost.
I cannot beleive that I would even have the thought in my mind of Christmas being done away with in our society,I am 6o years old and I guess I have lived to long,this is an abomination. What has happened to the Human Race

I don’t pay attention to other religions. That is because I do what I need to do in my own. I respect other religions but that’s where it ends. I do not get involved with theirs, I don’t care how they practice, where they practice or what is said when they practice. That is THEIR business and mine is MY business.

I light my candles in my own way. I am not about to run around preaching to others. Everyone has their higher power. They also have a right to pray and believe in that higher power. That is what people are dying for. Freedom to worship as they choose.

Preaching without being invited to do so is rude and invasive into others private lives.

U-2012> Both Christmas and Easter are Pagan feasts created in the fourth century.

They both impugn the Holy Word of Elohim.

Actually, Christmas and Easter are celebrations for those who are Blessed by Grace to see who the one and only Lord is.

Sure. Jesus didn't really get born and resurrect; that was an invention of the Catholic Church. All Christians, I am sure, will agree with you. Is there anything else?

That is absolutely false and completely ahistorical. So I guess the Quartodeciman controversy in the mid-100s involved disputes about a feast day that didn't even exist yet?

I take it you dont like our holidays...

I will with the greatest lovingkindness, disagree.

I will explain with the help of the Word of G-d through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, who was sent to all mankind to help us come to Know the Holy Word of G-d. See: John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:8

The Word of G-d did not create Christmas and Easter.

The creator of the universe did not create these holidays.

They were both created out of whole cloth by men in order to blind other men to the Word of G-d.

Easter was created to blind mankind to the YHvH commanded Feast of Passover, Hag Matzoh and HaBikkurim

These Feasts were celebrated by Yah'shua when he gave new meaning to the Afikomen and the third cup of passover wine. All was done within the original metaphor of His commanded Feast day.

The Feast of hag Matzoh is when all leaven is removed. Leaven is a metaphor of sin as it puffs up. Yah'shua removed all sin from those who would call on His NAME. His NAME is Yah'shua, which means YHvH is my salvation.

Yah'shua rose from the dead on His commanded Feast of HaBikkurim. HaBikkurim is His commanded Feast when the First of the Barley harvest is presented to YHvH at the Temple. See: 1 Corinthians 15:20

Easter celebrates none of this: the Holy Word of G-d. Easter impugns the Word of G-d. Easter blinds us to His commanded Feast days in His Holy Word.

.

Chanukah is a great time for followers of the Jewish Messiah to celebrate. The eight day Feast of Chanukah echoes of the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles Chanukah was most likely when the "light of the world" (John 8:12) entered human form and tabernacled among us.

Feast of Tabernacles is the birth day of Yah'shua.

This question is answered when you believe and trust the Holy Word of Elohim in Luke 1.

Yah'shua's birth on Sukkot (Sukkot is the Feast of Tabernacles or booths, where we live in temporary shelters. Sukkot is when YHvH took on a temporary garment to be with His People and to die as the Lamb of G-d on Pesach in order to bring salvation to all who would call on His Name: (Romans 10:13 & Joel 2:32) Yah'shua ( YHvH is become my salvation)).

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